A league source explained to us this afternoon the payment procedure that will apply in the wake of linebacker Tyrone McKenzie’s season-ending injury during a rookie minicamp held less than a week after he joined the Patriots via round three of the 2009 draft.

Other than Detroit’s Matt Stafford, who signed a contract before he was picked first overall, and the undrafted free agents who sign deals as they come through the door, every rookie who participates in offseason workouts as a member of the team does so without a contract.

The players routinely choose to practice pursuant to a “letter of protection,” which promises that in the event of a season-ending injury the player still will be offered a fair contract.

McKenzie was the 97th overall selection. Thus, he will get a deal that fits within the slot between the 96th pick (cornerback Keenan Lewis of the Steelers) and the 98th position (tight end Chase Coffman of the Bengals).

It could get dicey if Coffman signs a three-year deal and Lewis inks a four-year package, or if either player has a “split salary” that provides lower base pay in the event of a season-ending injury. But, for the most part, it will be easy to determine the value of McKenzie’s contract, which by the bottom of round three essentially consist of a signing bonus and minimum base salaries for the duration of the deal.

Regardless of the specifics, the reality is that the Patriots will be compelled to treat McKenzie fairly. Otherwise, agents would begin to refuse to allow unsigned rookies to participate in New England’s underwear practices, which as McKenzie has learned can be as hazardous as full-pads double-sessions.

A day after the Bengals officially parted ways with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft, they welcomed the guy taken two spots earlier.

As expected, veteran safety Roy Williams has signed with the Bengals. The team announced the move earlier today.

Williams, a former Cowboy, is a five-time Pro Bowler. He made it to Hawaii four times while playing for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who now serves as the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati.

“Roy had his best years when we were together in Dallas,” Zimmer said in a team-issued release. “I think we can take advantage of all his strengths in our [4-3] scheme. I don’t think the scheme in Dallas fit him quite as well when they switched to a 3-4, but he still went to the Pro Bowl in 2007.”

(Yes, Williams went to the Pro Bowl in 2007. Via airplane and his reputation.)

“Roy is a big hitter, a very tough player who lends a physical presence to a defense, and he makes plays,” Zimmer added. “He has also been very durable, with just the one injury that cost him last year, and that was a broken bone that’s healed now.”

Williams missed 13 games last year due to a broken forearm.

Despite the accolades, Williams long has been regarded as a liability in pass coverage. Thus, if rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga lands a starting job in his first year, look for teams to look to pass on the Bengals on first down and second down, given that both men are regarded as guys who need to come off the field when it’s time for the offense to throw the ball.

In a somewhat surprising move, the St. Louis Rams have released veteran linebacke Pino Tinoisamoa.

The team announced the move on Friday.

“This was a difficult decision based on a lot of factors,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said in a team-issued statement. “I have a great deal of respect for Pisa and wish him all the best.”

Per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the move creates $2.25 million in 2009 cap room. Signed through 2011, Tinoisamoa was due to earn a base salary of $3.25 million of this year.

Thomas, who cites Tinoisamoa’s lack of size as a factor of the move, also points out that the transaction will result in middle linebacker Chris Draft sliding to an outside position, and second-round rookie James Laurinaitis starting in the middle.

Tinoisamoa was a second-round pick in 2003; he’s now an unrestricted free agent and he likely will find opportunities elsewhere. But probably not at the $3.25 million base salary he was due to earn this year.

I also heard of the 49ersí interest in Joe Horn, who sat out last year because of a contract dispute with the Falcons. NFLnetwork termed the investigation of Horn ďat a low level.Ē The 49ers already have a logjam at receiver with the signing of former Titan Brandon Jones and the drafting of Texas Techís Michael Crabtree plus they have youngsters Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, and Dominique Zeigler. Where would Horn fit, especially with Isaac Bruce deciding to return?

He's visiting Tennessee, but how has this guy not already been taken off the market? He was a great wide receiver from 2001-2006 with the Titans. He's very tall, and has great ball skills--he really fights for the ball well when it's in the air.

It's perplexing to me that after 2 years on a totally s**t Rams team, that his value has depreciated this much.

He's visiting Tennessee, but how has this guy not already been taken off the market? He was a great wide receiver from 2001-2006 with the Titans. He's very tall, and has great ball skills--he really fights for the ball well when it's in the air.

It's perplexing to me that after 2 years on a totally s**t Rams team, that his value has depreciated this much.

I'm not sure I'd throw the word "great" around in association with Drew Bennett outside of one game...

The 34-year-old linebacker signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday with Miami, said his agent, Gary Wichard.

Taylor played his first 11 seasons with Miami before being traded to the Washington Redskins. He was released by Washington last winter after one injury-plagued season.

The New England Patriots courted Taylor, but he wanted to return to South Florida, where he still lives.

"My heart has always been in Miami, and so I'm truly excited to call myself a Dolphin once again," Taylor said in a statement. "I was presented with a number of different opportunities, but in the end the combination of this being the best situation for my family, my love for this community and my tremendous loyalty to a great organization made this an easy decision."

The Redskins released Taylor after he turned down a chance to play another season with them for $8.5 million. He could give Miami's pass rush a much-needed boost at outside linebacker opposite Joey Porter, who led the AFC with 17.5 sacks last year.

Taylor was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the Dolphins in 2006 and made the Pro Bowl six times. After the regime led by Bill Parcells took over the Dolphins early last year, Taylor was traded to Washington for two draft picks.

Taylor, who missed only four games in his 11 seasons in Miami, was unable to stay healthy in Washington. He sprained his knee during the preseason and hurt his calf in a win over Arizona on Sept. 21. Taylor required an operation to have blood drained from his calf and a second procedure a month later.

The calf injury hampered Taylor much of the season, and he struggled to fit into a Redskins' defensive scheme that gave him less freedom than he had with the Dolphins. He had only 3.5 sacks for the Redskins, his lowest total since 1999.

The 34-year-old linebacker signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday with Miami, said his agent, Gary Wichard.

Taylor played his first 11 seasons with Miami before being traded to the Washington Redskins. He was released by Washington last winter after one injury-plagued season.

The New England Patriots courted Taylor, but he wanted to return to South Florida, where he still lives.

"My heart has always been in Miami, and so I'm truly excited to call myself a Dolphin once again," Taylor said in a statement. "I was presented with a number of different opportunities, but in the end the combination of this being the best situation for my family, my love for this community and my tremendous loyalty to a great organization made this an easy decision."

The Redskins released Taylor after he turned down a chance to play another season with them for $8.5 million. He could give Miami's pass rush a much-needed boost at outside linebacker opposite Joey Porter, who led the AFC with 17.5 sacks last year.

Taylor was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the Dolphins in 2006 and made the Pro Bowl six times. After the regime led by Bill Parcells took over the Dolphins early last year, Taylor was traded to Washington for two draft picks.

Taylor, who missed only four games in his 11 seasons in Miami, was unable to stay healthy in Washington. He sprained his knee during the preseason and hurt his calf in a win over Arizona on Sept. 21. Taylor required an operation to have blood drained from his calf and a second procedure a month later.

The calf injury hampered Taylor much of the season, and he struggled to fit into a Redskins' defensive scheme that gave him less freedom than he had with the Dolphins. He had only 3.5 sacks for the Redskins, his lowest total since 1999.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

That's one of the most long and complex contract renegotiations in the history of football.

Brian Griese played three of the past five seasons for the Bucs. (Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images)

Brian Griese is expected to be cut by Tampa Bay later this week, two sources told FOXSports.com. Details of the release are being finalized, one of the sources said.
The parting will be long overdue. The Buccaneers added two quarterbacks last month by signing ex-Jacksonville starter Byron Leftwich and using a first-round draft choice on Kansas State's Josh Freeman. Tampa Bay re-signed five-year veteran Luke McCown earlier this offseason and still has 2008 fifth-round pick Josh Johnson on the roster.
Griese hasn't reported to offseason workouts and hasn't participated in this week's OTA sessions held at Bucs headquarters.
Griese, 34, played three of the past five seasons in Tampa under former coach Jon Gruden. Griese started four of the Bucs' first five games last season — posting a 3-1 record — before being sidelined by an elbow injury. He returned in December to start in a 13-10 loss to Atlanta. A rusty Griese was sacked four times but still completed 26 of 37 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
With the Bucs undergoing a youth movement under a first-year head coach (Raheem Morris) and general manager (Mark Dominik), Griese's departure seemed inevitable. Tampa Bay, though, paid Griese a $300,000 roster bonus earlier this offseason as insurance in case the team couldn't add new quarterback talent. Griese's agent Ralph Cindrich declined comment Wednesday.
McCown and Leftwich are considered the frontrunners to start for Tampa Bay this season, although Freeman is considered the team's quarterback of the future.
Because of his late release date, it seems unlikely that Griese will have the chance to compete elsewhere for a starting position in training camp. Griese, though, could have value as a proven backup.
One possibility is New England. Griese was a college teammate of Tom Brady at Michigan and the Patriots are without an experienced backup after trading Matt Cassel to Kansas City earlier this offseason. Kevin O'Connell (a 2008 third-round pick), Matt Gutierrez and rookie free agent Brian Hoyer are the only quarterbacks on the team's roster. Rookie Julian Edelman, a Kent State quarterback selected in the seventh round, is listed as a wide receiver on the Patriots' web site.
A 1998 third-round draft pick by Denver, Griese became the heir apparent to the retiring John Elway the following season. Griese started 51 games for the Broncos until his 2003 release. Griese spent that season with Miami, where his father Bob was a Hall-of-Fame quarterback during the 1960s and 1970s.
Griese then played with Tampa Bay in 2004 and 2005 before spending the next two seasons in Chicago. The Bucs reacquired Griese in a trade with the Bears last offseason. For his 11-year career, Griese is 45-38 as a starter with 119 touchdowns, 99 interceptions and a 62.7 completion percentage. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2000.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Buffalo Bills fullback Corey McIntyre was arrested in Florida on accusations he fondled himself outside a Port St. Lucie woman's home.

The incident allegedly happened on March 20 at about 8:30 a.m. ET, but the 30-year-old McIntyre was arrested Thursday and charged with exposing sexual organs.

The charge is a misdemeanor and required a warrant for his arrest, which led to the lag time before McIntyre was jailed.

A spokesman for the Port St. Lucie Police said the woman, 59, claimed the player knocked on her window during the act, then fled after she looked outside. Police later spotted him on a bicycle and stopped him based on the description the woman gave.

In the wake of being sidelined last season with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is now operating with no restrictions, according to Albert Breer of SportingNews.com.

Brady is reportedly, “more than excited,” about his medical progress, according to the report, which cited sources close to Brady.

“He’s full-go,” a source told Breer.

Brady’s rehabilitation has received strong reviews from his teammates.

“It’s been great to see him,” wide receiver Wes Welker said. “He looks like the same guy to me.”

Patriots coach Bill Belchick told reporters last month that Brady has been able to work without any limitations.

However, Brady will likely need to wear a knee brace, according to Patriots owner Robert Kraft. That’s a standard precaution following the kind of severe injury that Brady suffered.